The Proper Squat...

Why is it important to do squats correctly?

While squatting with proper form is completely safe, squatting with poor form is extremely dangerous. Incorrect squat technique puts a lot of strain on the lower back and knees and can quickly lead to serious injury.

 

Here is the correct way to do squats as recommended by the American Council of Exercise:

1. Begin standing with your feet slightly wider than hip-width and your toes turned out slightly. Your hands are by your sides with your palms facing inward. Pull the shoulders down your back toward your hips
2. Engage your core muscles to stabilize your spine. Keep your chest lifted and your chin parallel to the floor. Shift your weight back into your heels as your hips begin to push toward the wall behind you.
3. Downward Phase: begin this phase by hinging at the hips, shifting them back and down. Your hips and knees bend simultaneously. As you lower your hips the knees bend and will start to shift forward slowly. Try to prevent your knees from traveling too far forward past the toes. Keep the core muscles engaged and try to keep your back flat, DO NOT TUCK THE TAIL OR ARCH THE LOWER BACK.
4. Continue to lower yourself until your thighs are parallel or almost parallel to the floor. If your heels begin to lift off the floor or your torso begins to round, return to start position. Be aware of any movement that may occur at your feet, ankles and knees. Work to ensure that the feet do not move, the ankles do not collapse in or out and the knees remain lined up with the second toe.
5. From the Lowered Position: keep the knees aligned with the second toe and body weight evenly distributed between the balls and heels of both feet. If you can view this from the side, your shinbone should be parallel with your torso and the low back should appear flat or may be showing the begining of some rounding.
6. Upward Phase: while mainting the position of your back, chest and head and with the abdominals engaged, exhale and return to start position by pushing your feet into the floor through your heels. The hips and torso should rise together. Keep the heels flat on the floor and knees aligned with the second toe.
7. Think about inhaling on the way down and exhaling while exerting on the way back to the initial standing position.